{"id":67616,"date":"2018-02-22T10:41:39","date_gmt":"2018-02-22T16:41:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=67616"},"modified":"2018-02-22T10:41:39","modified_gmt":"2018-02-22T16:41:39","slug":"sophomore-hobbs-plays-key-role-on-offense-heading-into-sectionals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/sophomore-hobbs-plays-key-role-on-offense-heading-into-sectionals\/","title":{"rendered":"Sophomore Hobbs plays key role on offense heading into sectionals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Erik Alcantar<\/strong>
\nMedill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

The Lake Central High School boys basketball team features\u00a0 experienced players who have been working together both on and off the court for years. But in that roster of\u00a0 upperclassmen,\u00a0 sophomore\u00a0Derek Hobbs is entrusted with the keys to the offense as the starting point guard.<\/p>\n

At first glance, the 5-foot-11 guard may seem a bit out of place given his age, size and more limited experience. But once the game starts, he is instantly\u00a0integral to the team\u2019s success as the sectionals kick off Tuesday and Lake Central goes for the championship.<\/p>\n

Hobbs has been tackling daunting tasks all his life. At the age of two, he learned to dribble a basketball, and his game reflects years of fine-tuning from hard practice.\u00a0 As a freshman, Coach\u00a0 Dave Milausnic thrust Hobbs into the starting five. When Hobbs sets his mind to do something, it seems there is no stopping him.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI really wanted to improve my shooting range to get better looks,\u201d Hobbs said about accelerating his game for his second season.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Hobbs attacks the basket in a game against Merrillville High School. He took 8 points in a 66-56 loss. (Erik Alcantar\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The sophomore\u00a0 showcased his improved shooting early in the season in a November game against Lighthouse College Preparatory Academy (Gary). He scored 19 points to help Lake Central (St. John) win a shootout score of 86-82. The second-year point guard has scored double digit points three times this season.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard enough fitting in on the court with players who have played together for three or more years, but coming in as a wide-eyed freshman, Hobbs had to make his impressions off the court as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hardest part about being a freshman [on varsity] was that, at first, I didn\u2019t know anyone,\u201d Hobbs said. \u201cI didn\u2019t have good team chemistry.\u201d<\/p>\n

But\u00a0teammates showed support as they took a liking to him. Two seniors in particular, Keon Sellers and Conner Tomasic,\u00a0bonded with Hobbs and became\u00a0close friends.<\/p>\n

\"\"
From left to right: senior Conner Tomasic\u00a0, senior \u00a0Keon Sellers\u00a0 and sophomore Derek Hobbs. Despite their differences in age and experience, these three players have formed a close bond, both on and off the court. (Erik Alcantar\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe definitely have developed a very funny rapport over the season and a half we\u2019ve been together,\u201d Tomasic said. \u201cWe just mesh well together, and can mess with each other without the other getting hurt. If someone had a bad game, we can always mess with them, without them getting mad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sellers and Hobbs have even developed a pregame tradition of eating together.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore every game, Derek and I go to Subway and get a sandwich,\u201d Sellers said. \u201c[We] just discuss how our game is going to play out, and what we need to do to win that game.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Hobbs has gotten more comfortable in his role, he\u2019s also allowed his personality to shine through.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest difference in his personality this year is him being very sociable,\u201d Tomasic said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if there\u2019s ever a time when he\u2019s not talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Hobbs is averaging 3 assists a game, and usually acts as the team’s floor general as leads his team down the court on each possession. (Erik Alcantar\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the court, Hobbs credits his teammates with teaching him to\u00a0 handle pressure, and feels that it is his biggest improvement over last season.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a lot more aggressive and he\u2019s so smart with the ball,\u201d Tomasic said. \u201cHe rarely makes the wrong read running the point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Losing in the sectional championship game last season to East Chicago Central High School left an impression on Hobbs that he hasn\u2019t forgotten.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur team has been through a lot,\u201d Hobbs said. \u201cWe still have a bad taste in our mouths from last year so we will come swinging for sectionals this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a few of his teammates, including Sellers and Tomasic, this season will be their fourth and final attempt to win a sectional championship.\u00a0Hobbs will have two more chances after this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur team has a strong bond because we get along with each other well,\u201d Sellers said. \u201cAnd we just want to do whatever it takes to win games and win sectionals, so we can cut down a net at our house.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lake Central Sectional\u00a0commences Tuesday and the Indians’ first game\u00a0takes place\u00a0Wednesday against Crown Point High School. The two teams met earlier in February, with the Crown Point Bulldogs winning the game 55-52.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Hobbs (10) gets a key block to help Lake Central stay in the game. He has noted that he still wants to improve his defensive skills. (Erik Alcantar\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Looking ahead, both Tomasic and Sellers believe that Hobbs\u2019 experience will be important as he becomes an upperclassmen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this program is in really goods hands after the seniors leave,\u201d Tomasic said. \u201cDerek will be capable enough to lead that team with his experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Lake Central sophomore Derek Hobbs is a pass-first point guard who’s always looking to find the open man. (Erik Alcantar\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Erik Alcantar Medill Reports The Lake Central High School boys basketball team features\u00a0 experienced players who have been working together both on and off the court for years. But in that roster of\u00a0 upperclassmen,\u00a0 sophomore\u00a0Derek Hobbs is entrusted with the keys to the offense as the starting point guard. At first glance, the 5-foot-11 guard […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":448,"featured_media":67619,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,31,3987],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-interest","category-sports","category-winter-2018"],"yoast_head":"\nSophomore Hobbs plays key role on offense heading into sectionals - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/sophomore-hobbs-plays-key-role-on-offense-heading-into-sectionals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sophomore Hobbs plays key role on offense heading into sectionals - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Erik Alcantar Medill Reports The Lake Central High School boys basketball team features\u00a0 experienced players who have been working together both on and off the court for years. 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